The winter forced tulips are in full swing, and I thought this would be a great time to share some tips for keeping your flowers fresh.
First, a little bit about tulips. Tulips are one of the only flowers that continue to grow after harvest. This continued stem growth can lead to a “droopy” tulip in just a day or two. Not to worry, there are a few tricks you can implement to increase the vase life of your flowers!
Start with a trim – keep those tulips happy by giving the stems a little trim as soon as you get them home. Cut the ends of each stem at a 45 degree angle (this allows for maximum hydration) before putting them in the vase. If any leaves fall below the water line, make sure to remove them to slow the growth of bacteria in your water.
Clean that vase – if you wouldn’t drink out of the vase, it’s not clean enough for your tulips. Give it a good scrub with hot soapy water and your tulips will be much happier!
Don’t forget to change the water – similar to the vase, the water needs to be kept clean as well. Would you want to be left in a container of stagnant, bacteria-laden water? Neither do your tulips. Change the water every other day.
It’s time for another trim – give the stems a little trim each time you do a water change. This helps in 2 ways. It allows the stems to stay properly hydrated AND it keeps them the right height for your vase…remember what I said about continued growth? Frequent trims keep the growth in check.
About that vase – make sure you keep your flowers cut to the appropriate length for your vase. If you put tall tulips in a short vase, they will flop. So you either need a taller vase, or shorter tulips. It’s entirely up to you!
Stay cool – tulips are a cool weather crop. The cooler the room, the longer they will last. The warmer the room, the shorter the bloom. Keeping them away from direct sunlight helps as well.
Avoid ethylene exposure – in other words, don’t keep your tulips near apples or bananas (or other fruits) that give off ethylene gas as this will shorten their vase life.
Unfortunately, all good things come to an end – sometimes, in spite of your best efforts as a caretaker (and mine as a grower) tulips will droop. It is a part of their natural life cycle, and eventually they will flop and their vase life will come to an end. When that happens, you can see me for more flowers 🙂
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